Question: What is the current status of electric vehicle license plates? I bought a new electric car back in February and was told at the time that the city ran out of license plates for electric vehicles, and I would be notified when the permanent plates came in. But to date no word.
Answer: The city’s Motor Vehicle Registration Branch started the notification process this week. “The updated electric vehicle plates with the word Hawai‘i spelled correctly, with the ‘okina along the top center of the license plate, will be mailed to register owners who completed their transaction at a car dealership. Other electric vehicle owners, whose transaction was done at a satellite city hall, are being contacted and offered the option to have the updated license plate mailed to them, or picked up at a preferred satellite city hall location. Whether the transaction was done at a dealership or satellite city hall, these electric vehicle owners will not have to pay the $5.50 fee for replacement plates, due to the inconvenience caused by the unforeseen delay in the production and delivery of the updated electric vehicle plates with the word Hawai‘i spelled with the ‘okina diacritical mark,” Harold Nedd, a spokesperson for Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services, said in an email Wednesday.
Not all EV owners need replacement plates — this process is for those who were unable to get EV plates this year amid a shortage that occurred after a state law took effect Jan. 1 requiring that newly issued Hawaii license plates carry the ‘okina.
Along with the addition of the ‘okina, the new EV plates have the words “electric vehicle” arranged vertically, rather than horizontally as on existing EV plates. This creates room for more characters (letters and numbers) per license plate, which will allow county DMVs to keep up with demand for EV plates. Electric vehicle registrations increased about 62% over the past three years, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services.
Q: The governor talks about having the visitors pay the extra tax with the climate tax. He does not mention if local residents with a staycation are exempt, or will we be taxed again after paying our state taxes?
A: There is no exemption for Hawaii residents in Senate Bill 1396, which Gov. Josh Green signed into law Tuesday as Act 96. The law increases the rate of the state’s transient accommodations tax by 0.75% starting in 2026 and, for the first time, applies the state TAT to cruise fares; it already applies to hotels and other nightly lodging. The measure is expected to raise up to $100 million a year to help mitigate the effects of climate change in Hawaii. Read it at 808ne.ws/4mAYGCf.
Q: It’s nice that the pedestrian bridge to Ala Moana beach opened by Memorial Day, in time for the lantern-floating crowd. How much did the bridge end up costing?
A: The final price is still to be determined, but may reach about $26 million, including funding from federal, state and private sources.
The construction contract amount was $17.8 million, but costs for construction management consultants and potential approved change orders may add about $3.1 million, driving the final cost of construction to $20.9 million, according to the state Department of Transportation. Federal funds will pay 80% of that cost.
In addition, Victoria Ward Limited accrued about $6 million in costs, for design, environmental and cultural monitoring, and the value of the land donation, a DOT spokesperson said.
The Ala Moana Boulevard Pedestrian Bridge opened May 22, spanning six lanes of traffic to provide safe crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists to and from Kakaako (mauka) and Ala Moana Regional Park and Kewalo Basin (makai). The elevated pathway crosses Ala Moana Boulevard between Ward Avenue and Kamakee Street.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
